Taking Advantage of the Vastly Underused European Biogas Potential: Break-Even Conditions for a Fuel Cell and an Engine as Biogas Converters

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Majerus ◽  
Dirk Lauinger ◽  
Jan Van herle
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Financial Model ◽  
Population Average ◽  
Potential Break ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
Efficient Alternative ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Uk

In this study, the European biogas market and its potential are analyzed. The four countries with the biggest biogas production and potential, namely Germany, Italy, France, and the UK, are studied in detail. Particular attention is paid to their agricultural characteristics (livestock population, average number of cattle per agricultural holding, number of farms), as well as their policy and market conditions (feed-in tariffs, average biogas investment costs). A financial model is built and used to compare the four countries, based on the net present value as the performance indicator. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are considered as a more efficient alternative for valorizing agricultural-derived biogas, which, at the moment, is vastly done with cheaper conventional engines. After an analysis of the economic merits, target farm sizes are recommended for each country. It is shown that the low valorization of manure-derived biogas in Europe offers a big opportunity for the commercialization of SOFCs and for a push toward mass production. Considering the high installation costs, it is still primordial that policy-makers incentivize the installation of biogas plants throughout the EU.

scholarly journals Techno Economic Studies on the Effective Utilization of Non-Uniform Biowaste Generation for Biogas Production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godwin Glivin ◽  
Mariappan Vairavan ◽  
Premalatha Manickam ◽  
Joseph Sekhar Santhappan
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Reinforced Plastic ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Alternative Energies

Environmental effects from traditional energy sources and government regulations, necessitate the use of alternative energies like biogas for many uses including drying and refrigeration. Biowaste produced in educational institutions will not be uniform over the year. The non-uniform supply of biowastes, the absence of studies on bio digestion of likelihood biomass, the unreliability of energy from such conversion and the profitability of its usage in most applications are some of the factors to be considered while implementing this technology. In this regard, theoretical and experimental evaluations were carried out to accurately forecast biogas generation capabilities in educational campuses for obtaining biofuels with quantity and efficiency. It is observed that biogas generation with 52 to 58% methane content can be possible during an academic year. The quality of biogas shows that it is appropriate for almost any application. A broader analysis on different types of biogas digesters was conducted for their suitability in academic institutions. The economic benefits are analyzed for incorporating three biogas digesters namely KVIC, Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) type and JANATA. There are some encouraging results to confirm the economic feasibility of biogas plants including positive net present value. Biogas generation with digesters of capacities varying between 25 and 450 cubic meter shows payback periods varies from 3.18 to 7.59 years, which confirms that it is profitable to use digesters in this range of capacities.

scholarly journals Empirical Validation of a Biogas Plant Simulation Model and Analysis of Biogas Upgrading Potentials

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2424
Author(s):  
Jan Martin Zepter ◽  
Jan Engelhardt ◽  
Tatiana Gabderakhmanova ◽  
Mattia Marinelli
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Model ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Biogas Plant ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Biogas Upgrading ◽  
Integrated Energy Systems ◽  
First Order Kinetics ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
Plant Simulation ◽  
Kinetics Of

Biogas plants may support the transformation towards renewable-based and integrated energy systems by providing dispatchable co-generation as well as opportunities for biogas upgrading or power-to-X conversion. In this paper, a simulation model that comprises the main dynamics of the internal processes of a biogas plant is developed. Based on first-order kinetics of the anaerobic digestion process, the biogas production of an input feeding schedule of raw material can be estimated. The output of the plant in terms of electrical and thermal energy is validated against empirical data from a 3-MW biogas plant on the Danish island of Bornholm. The results show that the model provides an accurate representation of the processes within a biogas plant. The paper further provides insights on the functioning of the biogas plant on Bornholm as well as discusses upgrading potentials of biogas to biomethane at the plant from an energy perspective.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Eco-Efficiency of Two Alternative Agricultural Biogas Plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 2083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Muradin ◽  
Katarzyna Joachimiak-Lechman ◽  
Zenon Foltynowicz
Keyword(s):  
Waste Heat ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Biogas Plant ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Cost Calculation ◽  
Processing Plant ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Biogas Plants

Implementation of the circular economy is one of the priorities of the European Union, and energy efficiency is one of its pillars. This article discusses an effective use of agri-food industry waste for the purposes of waste-to-energy in biogas plants. Its basic objective is the comparative assessment of the eco-efficiency of biogas production depending on the type of feedstock used, its transport and possibility to use generated heat. The environmental impact of the analysed installations was assessed with the application of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. Cost calculation was performed using the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) method. The LCA analysis indicated that a biogas plant with a lower level of waste heat use where substrates were delivered by wheeled transport has a negative impact on the environment. The structure of distributed energy production cost indicates a substantial share of feedstock supply costs in the total value of the LCOE ratio. Thus, the factor affecting the achievement of high eco-efficiency is the location of a biogas plant in the vicinity of an agri-food processing plant, from which the basic feedstock for biogas production is supplied with the transmission pipeline, whereas heat is transferred for the needs of production processes in a processing plant or farm.

scholarly journals CONSTRUCTION OF AN EFFECTIVE WAREHOUSE SYSTEM OF THE ENTERPRISE IN THE PROCESSING OF AGRICULTURAL CARGO

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (166) ◽  
pp. 217-226
Author(s):  
O. Pavlenko ◽  
D. Velykodnyi
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Unit Cost ◽  
Maximum Level ◽  
Technological Parameters ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Third ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
The Moment

The article investigates the existing trends and prospects for the development of warehousing services in the system of production and processing of products, which allowed us to form the purpose of the research in this development. The chosen theme is quite topical, because warehousing processes are an integral part of the formation of supply logistics in modern production processes. One of the ways to reduce the cost of goods and services is the efficient use of resources. Ukrainian and foreign scientists have touched many questions concerning the development of the infrastructure component, solutions of optimization problems regarding the process of import-export of goods to the warehouse, but without determining the optimal values ​​of technological parameters of warehousing systems. The technological scheme of operation of the warehouse system of the enterprise LLC "MEGA CRISP» allows to see the whole chain of operations from the moment of arrival of the vehicle with cargo (containers and packaging) to the moment of sending the cargo (finished product) to the recipient; the necessary types of resources involved in these processes are also taken into account. Total costs were chosen as an evaluation indicator of the choice of an efficient supply channel. Relevant parameters of influence are taken into account: intensities of corresponding cargo flows, unit cost of the appropriate work and one hour of work of one worker, time of performance of an appropriate operation, quantity of the involved resources for performance of the appropriate operation and working time of the warehouse during the day. An imitation full-factor experiment was performed, based on the results of which a regression model in linear form with a non-zero coefficient was determined, in which each coefficient indicates the degree of influence of the relevant factor on the performance indicator. The results of determining the economic effect showed that "Variant 2" (increasing the number of workers) is the least expensive, and the level of costs is lower for all series of experiments compared to the basic variant - "Variant 1". The maximum difference is reached in 12217.8 hryvnias at the maximum loading of a warehouse. And when comparing the third and first variants: only at the maximum level of output flow (170 t / h), the third variant will be cheaper by 852.6 hryvnias. The highest level of positive value of the effect among the variants offered is "Variant 2", the level of savings will be 12,217.8 hryvnias per shift.

scholarly journals Geospatial Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment of a Holistic and Interdisciplinary Approach to the Biogas Sector

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (17) ◽  
pp. 5374
Author(s):  
Robert Bedoić ◽  
Goran Smoljanić ◽  
Tomislav Pukšec ◽  
Lidija Čuček ◽  
Davor Ljubas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biogas Production ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Alternative Pathways ◽  
Agriculture Industry ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
The Impact

Crop-based biogas energy production, in combination with electricity generation under subsidy schemes, is no longer considered a favourable business model for biogas plants. Switching to low-cost or gate fee feedstocks and utilising biogas via alternative pathways could contribute to making existing plants fit for future operations and could open up new space for further expansion of the biogas sector. The aim of this study was to combine a holistic and interdisciplinary approach for both the biogas production side and the utilisation side to evaluate the impact of integrating the biogas sector with waste management systems and energy systems operating with a high share of renewable energy sources. The geospatial availability of residue materials from agriculture, industry and municipalities was assessed using QGIS software for the case of Northern Croatia with the goal of replacing maize silage in the operation of existing biogas plants. Furthermore, the analysis included positioning new biogas plants, which would produce renewable gas. The overall approach was evaluated through life cycle assessment using SimaPro software to quantify the environmental benefits and identify the bottlenecks of the implemented actions. The results showed that the given feedstocks could replace 212 GWh of biogas from maize silage in the relevant region and create an additional 191 GWh of biomethane in new plants. The LCA revealed that the proposed measures would contribute to the decarbonisation of natural gas by creating environmental benefits that are 36 times greater compared to a business-as-usual concept. The presented approach could be of interest to stakeholders in the biogas sector anywhere in the world to encourage further integration of biogas technologies into energy and environmental transitions.

scholarly journals Feasibility study of technology-enabled prevention intervention for children and families

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Slovak
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Object A ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Children And Parents ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Regulatory Effects ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Uk

Although digital technology has the potential to address the challenges of access, engagement, and scalability that psycho-social prevention interventions face when trying to reach families of primary school children, existing research on technology-enabled interventions for families remains limited. The aim of this qualitative pilot study was to investigate the engagement, acceptability, and initial subjective indicators of emotion regulatory effects during 1-week in-situ deployments of a low-cost, bespoke prototype, which has been designed to support children's in-the-moment emotion regulation. This prototype instantiates a novel intervention model that aims to address the existing limitations by delivering the intervention through an interactive object (a `smart toy') sent home with the child, without any prior training necessary for either the child or their carer. Ten families (altogether 11 children aged 6-10 years) were recruited from three underprivileged communities in the UK, and children were given the toy to keep at home for 7-8 days, after which we interviewed each child and their parent about their experience with the toy. Across all 10 families, participants reported that the toy was incorporated into children's emotion regulation practices and engaged with naturally in moments children wanted to relax or calm down. The data suggest acceptability of the toy from both parents and children, strong engagement and indications of emotion-regulatory effects. More broadly, our findings suggest the potential of a technology-enabled shift in how prevention interventions are designed and delivered: empowering children and parents through `child-led, situated interventions', where participants learn through actionable support directly within family life, as opposed to didactic in-person workshops and a subsequent skills application.

scholarly journals Reducing the population's sodium intake: the UK Food Standards Agency's salt reduction programme

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A Wyness ◽  
Judith L Butriss ◽  
Sara A Stanner
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Salt Intake ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Salt Reduction ◽  
Campaign Evaluation ◽  
Food Standards ◽  
Reporting Framework ◽  
Population Average ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
The Uk

AbstractObjectiveTo describe the UK Food Standards Agency's (FSA) salt reduction programme undertaken between 2003 and 2010 and to discuss its effectiveness.DesignRelevant scientific papers, campaign materials and evaluations and consultation responses to the FSA's salt reduction programme were used.SettingAdult salt intakes, monitored using urinary Na data collected from UK-wide surveys, indicate a statistically significant reduction in the population's average salt intake from 9·5 g/d in 2000–2001 to 8·6 g/d in 2008, which is likely to have health benefits.SubjectsReducing salt intake will have an impact on blood pressure; an estimated 6 % of deaths from CHD in the UK can be avoided if the number of people with high blood pressure is reduced by 50 %.ResultsSalt levels in food, monitored using commercial label data and information collected through an industry self-reporting framework, indicated that substantial reductions of up to 70 % in some foods had been achieved. The FSA's consumer campaign evaluation showed increased awareness of the benefits of reducing salt intake on health, with 43 % of adults in 2009 claiming to have made a special effort to reduce salt in their diet compared with 34 % of adults in 2004, before the campaign commenced.ConclusionsThe UK's salt reduction programme successfully reduced the average salt intake of the population and increased consumers’ awareness. Significant challenges remain in achieving the population average salt intake of 6 g/d recommended by the UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. However, the UK has demonstrated the success of its programme and this approach is now being implemented elsewhere in the world.

scholarly journals Feasibility Study of Biogas Production from Hardly Degradable Material in Co-Inoculated Bioreactor

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyridon Achinas ◽  
Gerrit Euverink
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Present Value ◽  
Primary Sludge ◽  
Energy Value ◽  
Great Energy ◽  
Biowaste Treatment

Anaerobic technology is a well-established technique to wean the fossil fuel-based energy off with various positive environmental inferences. Biowaste treatment is favorable due to its low emissions. Biogas is merely regarded as the main product of anaerobic digestion with high energy value. One of the key concerns of the waste water treatment plants is the vast amount of cellulosic residuals produced after the treatment of waste waters. The fine sieve fraction, collected after the primary sludge removal, has great energy value. In this study, the economic performance of a biogas plant has been analyzed based on net present value and pay-back period concepts. The plant in the base scenario produced 309,571 m3 biogas per year. The annual electricity production has been 390,059 kWh. The producible heat energy has been 487,574 kWh or 1755 GJ per year. The plant depicts a positive economic situation with 11 years pay-back time, earning low profits and showing a positive net present value of 11,240 €.

scholarly journals Operational Parameters of Biogas Plants: A Review and Evaluation Study

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Nsair ◽  
Senem Onen Cinar ◽  
Ayah Alassali ◽  
Hani Abu Qdais ◽  
Kerstin Kuchta
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Biogas Plant ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Digestion Process ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
Main Factors

The biogas production technology has improved over the last years for the aim of reducing the costs of the process, increasing the biogas yields, and minimizing the greenhouse gas emissions. To obtain a stable and efficient biogas production, there are several design considerations and operational parameters to be taken into account. Besides, adapting the process to unanticipated conditions can be achieved by adequate monitoring of various operational parameters. This paper reviews the research that has been conducted over the last years. This review paper summarizes the developments in biogas design and operation, while highlighting the main factors that affect the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion process. The study’s outcomes revealed that the optimum operational values of the main parameters may vary from one biogas plant to another. Additionally, the negative conditions that should be avoided while operating a biogas plant were identified.

scholarly journals The generation of a mathematical model of the biogas production process from organic municipal solid waste

2020 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 02019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzhan Temirbekova ◽  
Madina Aliyarova ◽  
Iliya Iliev ◽  
Aliya Yelemanova ◽  
Saule Sagintayeva
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Anaerobic Fermentation ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Biogas Plant ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Biochemical Processes ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
The Mathematical Model

This paper justifies the efficiency of the biogas collection and utilization at the MSW (municipal solid waste) landfill in Almaty with the installation of several modern biogas plants. The optimal mode of processes occurring in a biogas plant is determined by computer generated simulations. Mathematical model parameters were identified to describe biochemical processes occurring in a biogas plant. Two approaches are used to resolve the mathematical model: the finite-difference method for solving the system of differential equations and simulation modeling by using the Any Logic package. A program is written in the algorithmic language C ++. Numerous calculations were carried out, the results of which are presented in curves and their qualitative picture is consistent with the ongoing processes. The created computer program allows to make a preliminary forecast of anaerobic fermentation occurring in the bioreactor depending on volume of the substrate, methane microorganisms and temperature conditions.

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